Want to make your own kaleidoscope, radio, or battery using common household items? Interested in using moth balls to make a self-propelled boat? Can an umbrella really be fashioned into a planetarium? Keith Souter explores the science behind these simple but fun experiments and demonstrates that, by understanding how they work, we can explain the world around us, from the position of the Harvest Moon to the composition and osmosis of food and drink. Souter's text is peppered with anecdotes about renowned scientists, and dozens of black and white photographs are complemented by Andrew James's droll line drawings.